Reading books is a very essential fact of life. This is a great habit one can have. Reading storybooks increase our knowledge. We can realize many aspects of life through books reading. Here Dona Chakraborty has mentioned some of the good books to read. Enjoy your free time with the following books!!
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane (Harper)
Since his debut novel “A Drink Before the War” in 1994, Lehane has grappled with the uncomfortable racial history of Boston. In his latest novel, which is set during the 1974 busing protests, Lehane offers a heartbreaking portrayal of the city’s working-class neighborhoods. The story follows Mary Pat Fennessy, a 42-year-old woman who has already gone through two marriages and lost a son to a heroin overdose. When her daughter disappears, Mary Pat embarks on a search that takes her through the seedy underbelly of the local gang scene and into the rarefied atmosphere of Harvard Square, ultimately leading to a transformation of her worldview. As Mary Pat confronts her own prejudices and confronts the hatred that surrounds her, her perception of Southie, her own neighborhood, begins to shift away from its defensive self-image. Lehane’s gripping crime novel captures the volatile mix of pride and shame that characterizes the working-class experience.
The Blazing World by Jonathan Healey
Healey, an Oxford historian, writes with vigor and wit, and possesses a remarkable ability to create vivid characters. Drawing on the diverse perspective of new social history, he argues that grassroots ideas. And beliefs have the power to drive significant social change. In his account, the petitions and pamphlets that paved the way for conflict are just as significant as the military tactics and terrain of the battlefield.
Healey’s approach includes allowing the voices of the “lunatic fringe” to speak for themselves, portraying radicals like the Levellers, Ranters, and Diggers as the story’s heroes, despite their ultimate defeat. Through his exploration of a past era when a radically democratic commonwealth appeared achievable, Healey reminds us that peripheral ripples in our historical consciousness can be just as consequential as the prominent waves at the center.
Spoiled by Anne Mendelson
Six decades ago, during his residency at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Pedro Cuatrecasas discovered compelling evidence suggesting. That lactose digestion may be a genetic condition tied to one’s racial background. Subsequent studies supported this notion, revealing the challenges that many communities of color faced when attempting to digest unfermented milk. Nevertheless, milk continued to hold a prominent position as a nutritional powerhouse in the United States and other regions.
In “Spoiled: The Myth of Milk as Superfood,” culinary historian Anne Mendelson challenges the dominant influence of fresh milk on the American psyche. Her book traces the evolution of “dairying” from its origins in ancient Near Eastern and Western Asian societies to its prevalence in northern Europe. Rather than advocating for the complete elimination of fresh milk, Mendelson aims to level the playing field between it. And alternative dairy products, encouraging readers to expand their culinary horizons beyond the boundaries of American culture.
The Cult of Creativity by Samuel W. Franklin
According to author and cultural historian, David Franklin, the concept of “creativity” was a post-World War II American invention. That emerged in two distinct contexts: psychological research and business. These contexts developed separately but ultimately intertwined and reinforced each other over time.
Humanistic psychologists, who were concerned with the postwar anxieties of alienation and conformity, associated creativity with authenticity and self-expression. Meanwhile, the advertising industry, which was instrumental in driving consumerism. Adopted the term to bestow the glamour and prestige of the artist onto admen and product designers.
As we entered the information age, countercultural values became increasingly compatible with consumer capitalism. Franklin argues that the difficulties in defining creativity are inherent in the concept itself. His thought-provoking book delves into the history of a term that is more recent in origin than many may realize.
